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No. 607,259. Patented July l2, I898. w. H. B. MILLER.

CLOTHES LINE PROP HEAD. (Application filed Dec. 28, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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IVALTER H. B. MILLER, OF MELBOURNE, VICTORIA.

CLOTH ES-Ll-NE-PROP HEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 607,259, dated July 12, 1898.

Application filed December 28, 1897. Serial No. 664,017. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWALTER HENRY BAXTER MILLER, printer, a subject of the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 159 Queen street, Melbourne, in the county of Bourke, within the Colony of Victoria, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Olothes-Line-Prop- Heads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide an attachment of metal which when affixed to any suitable wooden pole or rod converts the same into a clothes-line prop, not simply with the advantages incidental to the 0rdinary forked prop, but with additional ones incidental to this particular invention.

I Referring now to the drawings herewith, Figure 1 shows in perspective part of a prop A with (affixed thereto) one form of metal head constructed in accordance with my invention,

and Fig. 2 shows in perspective a modified form of my prop-head. That various other modified forms fall within the scope of my invention will be obvious from what follows, and therefore I do not delineate them. The metal shown in the drawings is sheet metal, (preferably tinned steel;) but for cheapness stout galvanized wire could be used bent into shape. Fig. 3 shows in side elevation part of my attachment, dotted lines showing the position the part called the mouth assumes when a clothes-line B is being engaged with the prop. Fig. 4 shows in side elevation another part of the attachment, dotted lines showing the position assumed when a clothesline is gripped therein at the part herein called the throat, and Fig. 5 represents a perspective View of a collar which may be used as a stop instead of the pin 10 in Fig. 2.

The attachment has several distinct features in addition to a part by which itis to be connected to any pole A. This part is marked 5 in the drawings, and may either consist of an arm running over the top and down the side or of any other obvious arrangement of lugs or connecting means. The first special feature is a narrow opening or mouth (marked 6) so narrow and so situated that the clothesline once in cannot get out accidentally, as by the prop slipping downward or sidewise,

the line not escaping when it rises within the attachment. The narrowness I prefer is that which requires one or both of the lips to yield slightly to enable the line to enter or leave mouth 6. The second special feature is that the top of the space within the attachment that is to say, the highest point to which the line can riseshown by the recess 7 (in which the line cannot wedge) in the drawings is at This wedging or gripping of the line is of useby preventing side slip of the prop.

It must be borne in mind that nothing is gained by an extremely tight grip of the line in the throat 8. In fact, too much grip would interfere with the line being released. Therefore, in some cases when I use an attachment, as in Fig. 2, in which there is considerable spring, I employ a loose rivet 10, or an equivalent, such as a movable rectangular wire or other collar 10", (shown in Fig. 5,) which pre Vents the line being forced low enough to be gripped with extreme force, and also prevents undue expansion of the throat.

The corrugation marked 11 in Fig. 2 is merely an optional detail. It will be seen that in Fig. 2 there is also a projection 12, which on the line working upward will guide the same toward recess 7 and away from the mouth 6. At the same time the flaring or outward extension of the edge of the lip 9, making the entrance wide at the beginning, enables the mouth to be easily entered by the line, while when the prop is in the hands of a person moving it. intelligently the line may be easily disengaged.

WVhen using this invention as shown in the drawings, the strain of the line when in its elevated position is transmitted to the prop,

A (when not ordinarily contacting with the pole) having suffioient spring in it to contact with said pole under the pressure of the line in the direction shown by arrow 0.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States, is-

1. In a clothes-line-prop head, the combination with a shank, of a resilient hook havin g a downwardly-extending member; a longer member extending forwardly and upwardly from the lower end of said downwardly-extending member, and having a corrugated gripping portion; a short bill at an acute angle to said longer member, and provided with a curved end near the base of said downwardly-extending member, substantially as described.

2. In a clothes-line-prop head, the combination with the shank, of a resilient hook comprising the downwardly-extending member, a longer member extending forwardly and upwardly from the lower end of said downwardly-extending member and at an acute angle thereto; and a short bill at an acute angle to said longer member, and provided with a curved end near the base of said downwardly extending member, substant'ially as described.

3. In a e1othes-line-prop head, the combination with a shank, of a resilient hook having a downwardly-extending member; alonger member extending forwardly and upwardly from the lower end of said downwardly-extending member, a short bill at an acute angle to said longer member, and provided with a curved end near the base of said downwardly-extending member; and a curved internal projection within the mouth of said hook at the base of said downwardly-extending member, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

\VALTER II. B. MILLER.

\Vitnesses:

W. 11. GUBLEY, Gnonen E. WILsON. 

